A New Effort Begins
At the May 2, 2000 meeting of the VNA board of directors, representatives of the Volente Group (VG) gave a presentation on their development plans for the Volente area and also presented a recommendation that a portion of the Volente area seek incorporation. In a nutshell, Volente Group felt there was interest among residents for incorporation, saw advantages in its developable land being removed from Austin's ETJ, and was interested in helping such an effort. In fact, VG had already met with Austin Mayor Watson and had sent a letter to Austin City Manager Jesus Garza inquiring about release from Austin's ETJ for the purpose of incorporation. VG presented VNA board members with booklets that contained a map of proposed boundaries and a list of what it saw as benefits of incorporation.

Things Move Along
The VNA board initially referred the matter to two of its committees. Members of those committees and other residents met with VG representatives to further discuss the proposal. Residents who identified themselves in favor of incorporation began hosting other meetings and inviting other residents to discuss the proposal for incorporation. Opposition began to identify itself as well and to hold its own meetings.
Controversy Escalates
Incorporation has always been a controversial topic in Volente. This effort may prove to be the most controversial and contentious yet, with proponents and opponents accusing each other of misrepresentation.

What's The Same In The Debate?
 The normal issues for debate are here: would COA even release Volente from its ETJ, how likely is annexation to occur if Volente does not incorporate and how soon would annexation occur, how effective and how costly would self-government be, would the addition of village taxes be an economic burden which would outweigh advantages, etc.

So What Is Different This Time?
Incorporation opponents have raised new issues that seem to center around either the effect of or the participation of the developer, Volente Group. First, opponents point out, all the proposed boundary maps have been drawn by VG. These maps include VG's upcoming development on the plateau above VVFD but exclude a significant portion of what is traditionally is know as Volente, "dividing the community". Next, the opponents ask how could a newly formed Village of Volente with limited resources and no experience properly regulate a major development such as Volente Group plans? And, opponents continue, might a major developer who helped finance the very effort that resulted in incorporation unduly influence a new all-volunteer Village Council, even if inadvertently?
Not so, say VG representatives and local proponents of incorporation, who de-emphasize the VG's role, saying it is up to Volente to decide and if incorporated, to govern itself. They point out that a number of long-term residents, with no ties to Volente Group, support incorporation.  And the boundary map, supporters say, is limited by a 2 square mile limitation within state law.
But another key difference this time may be that, unlike past efforts, this incorporation effort has funding and legal and consultant services made available to it. Perhaps because this effort appears to have more chance to succeed than past efforts, more residents are likely to get involved in the debate and the debate may be more heated than ever before.

What Happens From Here
Proponents of incorporation have formed a steering committee calling itself "Save Our Volente". They continue to hold small meetings and are circulating petitions that will ask Austin to release a portion of Volente from its ETJ for the purposes of incorporation. If successful in gaining release, they will campaign to convince people to vote for incorporation in an election, which could be held in November or January.
Opponents of incorporation plan to hold a public meeting in July to discuss opposition and have asked VNA to hold a separate public meeting at some point.

More Information on Incorporation
The two guest editorials with the newsletter give contacts that can provide more information - each will present the facts from his or her own point of view. The Volente web site continues to post information as we receive it, including the boundary map(s), some background on incorporation and the rules regulating it, and a bulletin board where residents can sound off on incorporation.
All can be reached from http://www.volente.org

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